1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information bearing cards, and in particular, to a laminated card for carrying microfilm electrocardiograms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Information bearing cards are well known and have been utilized for a variety of purposes. For example, in identification cards, photographs and other identifying material may be laminated between transparent plastic panels. Also, emergency medical information may be included in the card along with identifying material. Such cards are typically of a configuration and size, for example, rectangular and 21/8 inches (53.975 millimeters) by 33/8 inches (85.725 millimeters), such that they can conveniently be carried on a person in a wallet, credit card holder, purse and the like. Thus they are readily available, and in the case of cards bearing emergency medical information, may be accessed even though the person is unconcious, comotose or otherwise incapacitated.
Due to the size limitations of such cards, significant amounts of data can best be included therein by reproduction on microfilm. Although special viewing equipment such as microfilm readers and the like is required to access the information contained on such microfilm chips, such equipment is generally available at health care facilities to which a patient is likely to be transported in the event of a medical emergency. For example, the Anderson et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,554 shows a card with a microfilm chip or photograph bearing a medical history laminated between laminer parts in a window of a core. However, a drawback to this card arrangement is that the information on the microfilm chip is accessible by anyone having microfilm reading equipment. Furthermore, once the card is fully laminated, no provision is made for updating the microfilm medical records secured therein.
It has heretofore been proposed to include a variety of types of medical data in cards to be carried on a person. For example, allergies, current medication, blood types, unusual medical conditions, and medical histories may all be of use to attending medical personnel. For cardiovascular patients, information including medical histories, present medications and comments by the person's regular physician can be of extreme importance in the event of a heart attack or other cardiovascular problem. Oftentimes, the patient is rushed to the nearest available physician who may be encountering him or her for the first time. Valuable time can be lost in trying to obtain medical records from the person's regular physician, but without background information, the attending physician is at a serious handicap in rendering effective treatment without exposing the patient to undue risks. Thus, it is desirable for persons to carry with them information relating to their cardiovascular systems and particularly any data relating to previous cardiovascular problems and current medication.
Important medical data concerning heart patients is often contained in their cardiograms. By studying prior cardiograms, a heart specialist can determine variances from the patient's normal heartbeat and thus diagnose and treat a present heart problem. In the case of a patient having a history of cardiovascular problems, it is desirable to assemble a sequence of cardiograms taken at different times to show a history of the patient's cardiovascular condition. Cardiograms are even advisable for persons without a history of heart trouble. In the event a problem should develop later, a physician will be able to use the person's previous, healthy cardiogram as a reference indicating the patient's "normal" heartbeat and compare it to the patient's "abnormal" heartbeat. Such a cardiogram comparison can significantly aid a physician in prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Although medical records including cardiograms and the like may be of great importance in the event of a medical emergency, they may be considered confidential by both the patient and his or her regular physician. Therefore, it is desirable that the objective of providing convenient access to such information be balanced against the need to maintain a degree of confidentiality.
As an indication of the number of persons who could potentially benefit from using the present invention, it is estimated by the American heart association that 41,290,000 persons in the United States presently have some form of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, one and one-half million Americans annually may have a heart attack. Finally, in the year 1979, 975,500 persons in this country died of heart and blood vessel disease. In treating heart attack victims, prompt diagnosis and treatment is often of the utmost importance. The availability of medical records including cardiograms and the like may thus have a significant effect on a person's chances for recovery.